Women’s Health Issues
Volume I, Issue 4.0
November 2008
Weight Gain Milestones
Wedding bells, baby’s first steps, retirement. Major life events all. Unfortunately, when life hits a high
note, I’ve seen too many of my patients hit a bodyweight highpoint as well. Below, 4 of life’s typical
“weight gain milestones” and some advice on how to enjoy the moment without fattening up.
Matrimonial Mass
Wedded bliss has recently been tied to better health but also to thicker thighs and wider waists.
Both men and women are likely to add about five pounds in the first few years of marriage, probably experts think, because you eat when your spouse eats whether or not you’re hungry. Besides,
you’ve already snagged a mate, so why not let it all hang out? One way to lose weight is to ditch
your significant other – divorce typically leads to weight loss – but if you’re not willing to take such
a drastic step, start exercising and encourage your partner to do the same. Over time your weight
will tend to drift in the same direction as your partner’s so you have a better chance of shedding
some pounds if your spouse does the same.
Baby Fat
In general women tend to be heavier after giving birth; they gain 4 pounds with each bundle of joy.
(Interestingly, men add an extra 3 pounds per child -- and that’s without the excuse of haywire hormones and eating for two!) If you gain more than the recommended 35 pounds during pregnancy,
studies show that you’re likely to hold on to almost 18 pounds, at least until the time your kids
hit preschool. You may be able to ward off weight gain by breast feeding for at least six months.
However, don’t depend on breast feeding to do all of the work. Though it’s has been touted as
one the most effective weight loss aid for post partum women, studies indicate mixed results. One
reason for this could be that the current advice to eat 500 additional calories per day when you are
nursing is overstated and, while no one is suggesting you diet while breast feeding, many experts
now recommend eating no more than 250 additional calories daily. Practicing portion control (even
if you can’t always make the best food choices) and doing several shorter workouts rather than
one long one, are other strategies you can employ.
Aim for a weekly weight loss
no greater than 2 pounds
When you lose weight more quickly than
that, you lose some muscle mass which can
slow metabolism and cause other unhealthy
side effects.
Season’s Growings
Notice more XXX-L Santas this year? Many of them don’t need padding to pull off the fat and jolly
look. Like most of us, Santa gains at least a pound each holiday season a pound that’s unlikely to
be shed during the course of a year; so a decade’s worth of eggnog and cheese logs results in a
significant spare tire. In fact, the average person consumes 150 extra calories on most days during
the holiday season and up to a whopping 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. It
is possible to avoid festive fat, but don’t expect a 20-minute walk to do it. Realistically, you’re not
going to skip a celebratory meal, so you’ve got to cut back elsewhere and find a way to burn off
that excess butter.
Older and Larger
When women hit menopause, the pile up of pounds continues. The average weight gain for a
menopausal woman is 12 pounds though the range is huge. Most of this gain is due to a slow-down
in estrogen production – fat cells become the primary source of estrogen -- but some of it can be
blamed on eating too much and moving too little. It’s possible for women to ward off at least some
late life fat with longer workouts, a more active lifestyle, frequent, small meals, and upping intake of
“healthy” fats to help stimulate estrogen production.
Total It Up
These weight gain milestones represent times in your life when you are especially vulnerable
to weight gain. Together they represent a total gain of 31 pounds over the course of a lifetime.
Obviously, not everyone gains at each and every milestone, but considering that more than 65% of
us are now considered overweight or obese, experts say these are the times to be especially vigilant with exercise and diet. Interestingly, both sexes begin to see a weight decline by the time they
start collecting social security due to declining appetite and decreased muscle and bone mass.
However, by then much of the damage from carrying around excess body fat is done.
Dr. Corio’s Recommendations
To lose weight, copy the habits of
successful losers:
- 78% eat breakfast every day
- 75% weigh themselves at least once
a week
- 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV
per week
- 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour
per day
(Source: National Weight Control Registry)
PEARLS
The Question: How much weight should I gain during
pregnancy?
The Research: Weight gain during pregnancy should be
gradual with the most weight being gained in the last trimester. According to the American College of Gynecologists
and Obstetricians (ACOG), you should gain about 2 to 4
pounds during the first three months of pregnancy and
then 3 to 4 pounds per month for the rest of your pregnancy. Total weight gain should be about 25 to 30 pounds.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that women who
are underweight gain 28 to 40 pounds during pregnancy
and women who are overweight gain no more than 15 to
25 pounds. While you should never diet during pregnancy,
going overboard with the “eating for two” concept can set
you up for post partum weight gain and some evidence
suggests it may also predispose your child to obesity later
in life.
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Dr. Corio Says: Guidelines are one thing but every woman is unique. Let’s work together to determine the right
amount of weight gain for you and your baby. Keep the
dialog going; I encourage you to ask me questions.
The Question: What is BMI and what should mine be?
The Research: BMI, short for Body Mass Index, is a
measure of body fat based on height and weight. It’s considered a reliable way to determine whether or not you are
at a healthy weight, because it tells you something about
how much of your weight is body fat and how much is
lean body mass. It’s also considered a reliable indicator of
health risks such as heart disease and cancer. A BMI of
less than 18.5 is considered underweight; between 18.624.9 is considered healthy; and, over 25 is considered
overweight. (Go to nhlbisupport.com/bmi for a BMI calculator to determine what your BMI).
Dr. Corio Says: BMI is not a perfect measure and doesn’t
accurately portray everyone’s “fatness” or health risks, especially if you have an athletic build. But if you’re concerned
about your weight, it’s a good place to start. Looked at in
combination with other measures such as scale weight
and body fat percentage, it can help you determine which
way your weight is trending. And as long as you’ve got your
tape measure out for BMI, I strongly recommend looking
at your waist circumference as well. Emerging research
from Ohio State University in Columbus shows that even
a slightly elevated waist circumference can increase your
risk of high blood pressure even if your weight and BMI are
in the normal range. For women, your waist measurement
should be less than 31.5 inches; for an accurate reading,
measure the smallest part of your waist.
News Flash
It sounds almost too unbelievable to be true but researchers from
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other
esteemed medical organizations predict that most adults in the
U.S. will be overweight or obese by the year 2030, with related
health care spending projected to be as much as $956.9 billion.
Reporting in the online version of the Journal of Obesity, the
researchers note that the prevalence of obesity has been leaping
forward for the past three decades. If these trends continue,
more than 86% of adults will be overweight or obese by 2030.
This would result in 1 of every 6 health care dollars being spent
on direct health care costs for issues relating to excess fat-that’s 15-17% of projected total health care costs. Children being
born today would also be the first generation to have a shorter life
expectancy than their parents. Scary stuff indeed.
This information has been adapted from sciencedaily.com and
materials provided by Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg
School of Public Health.
Sources: Ob. Gyn News, ACOG.org and nih.gov
Questions or comments? Contact us at www.obgyn-ny.com, (646) 422.0730, 113 East 64th Street, NY, NY, 10021